Today’s singing students need to put their ears back over their shoulders, respected vocal coach says.

A new phenomenon called “text neck” has reared its head recently, and the field of voice has not been exempt. The term, which refers to the position of the neck, craned over a gadget or smartphone, has been shown to cause stress on the cervical spine, which can cause headaches and neck pain, compromise breathing, and lead to early spinal wear and tear. A singer’s posture, fundamental to the correct and free production of sound, is therefore significantly inhibited when displaying “text neck”. Young singers are particular offenders, spending an unprecedented amount of time hunched over electronic devices.

Writing for the website Musical Theatre Resources, Christianne Roll, a singer and head of the Musical Theatre Program at Florida Southern College, describes how singers, up until a few years ago, could easily correct their posture with simple instructions such as “stand up straight” and “shoulders back”. With proper alignment, she writes, overall singing ability improved. More recently, however, these suggestions are no longer as effective, with a singer’s head remaining in an incorrect forward position. She claims that only by recommending students...